Ikon and Peter Rollins

I just read an interview in Christian Century entitled ‘Seeds of doubt’ on Peter Rollins and what he is doing with a group called Ikon. Here are a few concepts that left me wondering about this gathering of people.

Part of an Ikon event:

“On two projectors we showed the Apostles’ Creed via computer, and people could go up and put in the creed what they wanted to and take out what they wanted to.”

Leadership structure:

“I like to think of Ikon as a donut with a hole in the middle…We try to have a hole in the center so that we are all on the edges.”

Is Ikon a community?:

“No, because as soon as you say that word all of the people who need community come out– the group turns incredibly needy, and suddenly the whole thing is on its way to vanishing…We call Ikon a collective, a gathering, or a crowd. People naturally make connections and community happens…Ikon is like the people who run a pub. It’s not their responsibility to help the patrons become friends. But they create a space in which people can actually encounter each other.”

How does Ikon relate to the church?:

“Often I say that Ikon works only if you are rooted in a religious tradition. Ikon doesn’t make sense if you are not located somewhere, because it is fundamentally a rupture and a provocation. We have to have something to deconstruct. Ikon has led some people to church, and it has led some people out of church.”

To read more, check out The Christian Century article from June 2, 2009. It isn’t yet available through our databases or on the website, but it should be soon. If you are in the area, you can browse the print copy at Rolfing.